Halftime Report
USC fell flat on their face against the Cardinal last Saturday, but memory of that harsh loss doesn’t seem to have tripped them up today. USC has jumped out to a quick 34-29 lead against the Utes.
If USC keeps playing like this, they’ll bump their record up to 10-15 in no time. On the other hand, Utah will have to make due with a 15-10 record unless they turn things around (and fast).
Who’s Playing
Utah Utes @ USC Trojans
Current Records: Utah 15-9, USC 9-15
How To Watch
- When: Thursday, February 15, 2024 at 11 p.m. ET
- Where: Galen Center — Los Angeles, California
- TV: Fox Sports 1
- Follow: CBS Sports App
- Online streaming: fuboTV (Try for free. Regional restrictions may apply.)
- Ticket Cost: $6.00
What to Know
Utah has enjoyed a three-game homestand but will soon have to dust off their road jerseys. They and the USC Trojans will face off in a Pac-12 battle at 11:00 p.m. ET on Thursday at Galen Center. Coming off a loss in a game Utah was expected to win, they now face the more daunting task of proving themselves against unfavorable odds.
Last Saturday, the Utes came up short against the Sun Devils and fell 85-77. Utah has not had much luck with the Sun Devils recently, as the team’s come up short the last four times they’ve met.
Despite the loss, Utah got a solid performance out of Branden Carlson, who dropped a double-double on 25 points and 12 rebounds.
Even though they lost, Utah were working as a unit and finished the game with 23 assists. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Arizona State only posted 13 assists.
Meanwhile, it’s going to take some time for the Trojans to recover from the 99-68 bruising that the Cardinal dished out on Saturday. USC was in a tough position after the first half, with the score already sitting at 55-26.
USC’s loss shouldn’t obscure the performances of Isaiah Collier, who scored 18 points along with two steals, and Kijani Wright who scored nine points. Wright didn’t help USC’s cause all that much against the Golden Bears last Wednesday but the same can’t be said for this game.
The Utes have traveled a rocky road recently having lost four of their last five contests, which put a noticeable dent in their 15-9 record this season. As for the Trojans, their loss was their seventh straight on the road, which dropped their record down to 9-15.
Utah came up short against the Trojans in their previous matchup back in February of 2023, falling 62-49. Can Utah avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We’ll find out soon enough.
Odds
USC is a slight 1.5-point favorite against Utah, according to the latest college basketball odds.
The line on this game has moved a bit since it opened, as it started out with the Utes as a 1-point favorite.
The over/under is set at 148.5 points.
See college basketball picks for every single game, including this one, from SportsLine’s advanced computer model. Get picks now.
Series History
USC has won 7 out of their last 10 games against Utah.
- Feb 25, 2023 – USC 62 vs. Utah 49
- Jan 14, 2023 – USC 71 vs. Utah 56
- Jan 22, 2022 – USC 79 vs. Utah 67
- Dec 01, 2021 – USC 93 vs. Utah 73
- Mar 11, 2021 – USC 91 vs. Utah 85
- Feb 27, 2021 – Utah 71 vs. USC 61
- Jan 02, 2021 – USC 64 vs. Utah 46
- Feb 23, 2020 – Utah 79 vs. USC 65
- Jan 30, 2020 – USC 56 vs. Utah 52
- Mar 07, 2019 – Utah 83 vs. USC 74
